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Start hereHow custom packaging is made: from dieline to finished box
The custom packaging process explained for hardware founders doing their first retail box. Box structures, printing, finishes, inserts, samples, MOQs and lead times, plus the Chinese words factories use.
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01Design · 8 minSymbols and labels on electronics packaging: a beginner's checklist
The common marks and labels on electronics boxes explained: CE, UKCA, FCC, the WEEE bin, recycling symbols, barcodes, country of origin and carton marks. General guidance only; confirm the rules for your market.
02Choosing · 7 minEmbossing vs debossing (and blind emboss) for packaging
The difference between embossing (击凸) and debossing (压凹), what blind and registered embossing mean, which designs and boards work, and what drives the cost on a custom box.
03Choosing · 6 minHot foil vs cold foil stamping: what's the difference?
Hot foil (烫金) and cold foil (冷烫) compared in plain words. How each works, how they look and feel, which suits short or long runs, and what to ask a packaging factory.
04Choosing · 9 minOffset vs digital printing for packaging (and CMYK vs Pantone)
How offset and digital printing differ for custom boxes, when each makes sense, what CMYK and Pantone spot colours mean, and how to get your box colours right with a Chinese printer.
05Design · 8 minSpot UV, soft-touch and lamination: packaging coatings explained
A plain-English guide to box coatings and laminations. Gloss, matte and soft-touch film, spot UV, UV coating, aqueous coating and varnish, what each does, how they combine, and the Chinese terms factories use.
06Choosing · 8 minPackaging inserts for electronics: EVA foam, molded pulp, paperboard or plastic?
The main types of box inserts compared for hardware products. EVA and EPE foam, molded pulp, paperboard, plastic trays and anti-static foam, with tooling, cost drivers and Chinese supplier terms.
07Choosing · 8 minRigid box vs folding carton vs mailer box: which should you choose?
Folding cartons, corrugated mailers and rigid boxes (lid-and-base, magnetic closure, drawer) compared for hardware products. Materials, feel, protection, freight, cost drivers and the Chinese names factories use.
08Design · 8 minWhat is a dieline? Dielines, white samples and printed proofs explained
What a packaging dieline is, how to read its cut, fold and bleed lines, how to put artwork on it, and how proofing works with a Chinese box factory, from PDF proof to white sample (白样) to signed printed sample.
09Basics · 7 minWhat is hot foil stamping? A beginner's guide for packaging
How hot foil stamping (烫金) works, what the die and foil are, which designs foil well, what drives the cost, and how to ask a Shenzhen packaging factory for it.
10Working in China · 9 minIncoterms for first-timers: EXW, FOB, DDP and more
What Incoterms are, what EXW, FCA, FOB, CIF, DAP and DDP mean in plain words, who pays for what and who carries the risk, and which terms first-time importers from Shenzhen commonly use.
11Working in China · 9 minShipping from Shenzhen: sea vs air
Express courier, air freight or sea freight? A plain-English guide to shipping parts and products out of Shenzhen: how each option works, rough transit times, how weight is charged, batteries, and customs.
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